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Food on the Brain

Xanadu Wilds - Bowl FallsThe soft music of water dancing upon rock greets you as the narrow declivity gradually opens to a bowl with gently-curved, sides carpeted in emerald-colored moss. Here you may ascend to the rim and access the untamed forest on the surface of the Island.

In one spot a wide section of water pours over the bowl's lip, forming a single sheet that tinkles pleasantly upon rocks at the bottom, a narrow groove providing the runoff to drain out of the bowl and into a crack. Mist rises, but the moisture dissipates, leaving this place a dry and comfortable spot to rest or camp in, the soft carpet providing a natural cushion and the trees overhead sheltering from the sun and rain.

It's a chilly afternoon out here in the … well, wherever they are. The wilderness! 'The Rock', as Kale has taken to call the place that the Candidates have been calling home for at least three and a half days now. And in these days, much has been done. Most notably, the crapper that Soriana dug out the first morning has been used! By multiple candidates. When you've gotta go, you've gotta go! Kale has kept a wide berth from it, and whether or not he's been one of the occupants of the makeshift toilet is unknown. Other, less gross things? Fires have been made. Smuggled food confiscated, supplied food eaten, exploration done, tempers flared. When stuck together like this, bonds can form and annoyances revealed. It truly is … an experience. For now, Kale is still rolling with the punches, though hunger is starting to gnaw at him. That pack of ten day snacks is not going to be enough, and as he peers at what he has left, he woefully realizes he's already halfway through his rations! He wears a black jacket and sits upon his tarp on the mossy ground, rummaging through his supplies with a grim look.

The big rock. That's basically what Hotaru's been calling it. Very little game and no proper trees. These pine-thingies don't count as trees in her mind since they're horrible to climb. Hotaru has been rather sparse since they arrived, instead she's been crawling all over the island to see if there was anything of note anywhere. Also to avoid having to use the communal crapper-hole. Hotaru's been out all morning and only now is coming back to get warm and eat something from her rations. When she appears she's wearing her leathers and has her backpack and bow strung across her back. Everything is set down as she peers around was there still a fire? Or would she have to start one up again? "Sticky. I found some pine nuts."

If Kale is around, rest assured there's a fire. One that burns efficiently. Or rather, as efficiently as he can manage with wood. He'd must rather slower burning, longer lasting coals but … alas. As it is, the fire is kept small. Enough for warmth for those who wish to crowd nearer. Larger ones are saved for cooking. If anyone manages to catch any fish worth cooking. And he glances to that fire every now and then through his rummaging, though soon decides that no matter how much he rummages, nothing is going to make his food stash magically multiply, so he closes his pack and shifts nearer to the flames. Hearing his pseudo-name, he glances up, spying Hotari. Her discovery is met with a grin. "Yeah? Willin' to share, or are you tellin' me just to hurry along the "wasting away" process as you scarf them down?" Apparently, being hungry and cold isn't enough to dampen his humor.

Hotaru isn't as concerned with efficient burning really. She wouldn't even know how to start an efficient fire. Her idea of efficiency is to throw more wood on it. As it is she's sorry she doesn't have a hatchet or something with which to chop down trees with. She seems happy enough with the one going though and sits down near it to get her fingers warm. She opens up her backpack and tosses a little sack of pine nuts at Kale. There's not much more than a handful, but enough to fill his stomach probably. "I can't eat any more of those right now. I need the sack back, though. I can pick more later. I thought I saw a berry bush, too. I'm always wary of berries though." Hotaru searches her own supplies for some jerky. "Also.. I thought I saw some waterfowl up above. So maybe I can shoot us some dinner." She's going to try to, at least. "Where is everyone?"

Kale catches the bag of offered snacks and grins appreciatively at her. "Thanks, I owe ya," he says, reaching in to grab a few and pop into his mouth. Here, monster in his stomach, feed on this! He makes a slight sound of contentment at eating something other than what's been packed for them, but his mouth still waters at the thought of meatrolls and stickybuns from the caverns. He watches her as she chews, making a slight face at the mentioning of berries. "Next thing y'know we'll all be runnin' around thinking we're firelizards," he says. "I've heard some baaad berry stories. Unless things get dire, we should probably leave'm alone." Else risk this being known as the Isle of Insanity! "You hunt?" he asks with faintly raised brows. "Garawan was goin' on the other day about what a grand cook he is. If anyone gets anything, bet he'll be glad to prepare it." He munches another nut. "Idrissa went off for fish, I think. Soriana went to bathe. Dunno about Muir an' Mikal. Garawan.." he glances about, "is around here somewhere. An' for all I know, Zah's turned into a wildwoman and has fled to the trees, as I haven't seen her since we arrived."

Hotaru tears a big junk of jerky apart with her teeth and wraps the rest up to put away. She's carefully divvied up her rations to last the whole ten days. That way she could maintain the same state of relative hunger without starving at the end. And anything they manage to catch and eat would be a bonus. There's a nod about the nuts. "Thinking we're firelizards?" She laughs. "Yeah. If we get sick out here it won't be too fun, either. You'll dehydrate quick." The island was insane enough without candidates going bonkers from berries. "Eh… sort of." She says about hunting. In other words, not really. But she was a good shot with her bow. She's just never killed anything with it. "Well, hopefully I can shoot some of the fowl. Or maybe a fish or something. If not we'll be stuck with pine nuts and roots to supplement our diet. Did we figure out if we had a pot in the supplies? A stew would be good." There's a nod about the rest of the candidates and Hotaru spreads her legs out in front of her, sitting to the side of the fire. "Not sure where Zah went. She had a bow, so maybe she went to try and hunt. My back is killing me from sleeping on the ground."

Mikal arrives, empty handed but some sand on his hands and clothing. Veering towards his bedroll he plops down and lays there, idly watching the other candidates.

Kale could only wish to be so organized. At this rate, he'll be out in three days and will be stuck stuffing dirt in his mouth to last the rest of the days they're here! Ooh Xanadu caverns and your stew and rolls and desserts! How he misses thee. Another nut is crunched as he ponders hunting, and his lack of help in that department. "I think V'dim had pots in his sack," he confirms, nodding. The mentioning of stew has him grinning, and he exhales a slow breath. "Don't even get me started thinkin' about that kind've food," he muses, a smirk curving his mouth. "I've been havin' dreams of food since the first night. I think I woke up twice last night thinkin' I smelled food. I think," he concludes, tapping at his temple, "I may be goin' a bit mad. You'll put me out of my misery, won't you, if I start gnawin' at my own arm? Or on the arms of others.." And as if on cue, his stomach gives a gurgle, which he quiets with one more pine nut. "Cots never seemed so comfortable, have they?" he smirks, nodding in agreement to her comment of sleeping on the ground.

Hotaru isn't about to stuff dirt in her mouth. If worst comes to worst she'll boil the ends of her leathers and pretend it's beef jerky. Oh yes… thick stew, fresh bread, juicy meatrolls… so delicious. "Okay. That's good at least. Even if I manage to kill one of those ducks, there won't be much more than a mouthful or two of meat for everyone. We can dig up some of the roots around maybe to supplement a stew." She peers at him. "If you start gnawing on your arm we'll tie you up to a tree. And take turns beating you back to your senses." There's a wistful sigh about sleeping in a cot. "I've wondered if those tarps would hold up to being turned into hammocks. Probably not though." And she wasn't going to give up her blanket to try such a thing. She looks up at the sky. "I know we're going to get rain soon. I can just feel it."

"Between you an' Idrissa, maybe you'll bring down two and we'll have enough for a pot," optimistically says Kale, who can't seem to get food off of his mind. "I'll … uh, make the fire." He's gotta contribute somehow, else he's not going to get any of this what could be epic from-scratch soup! With a few pine nuts still in the bag, he hands it back to her and brushes off his palms on the side of his trousers before rising. "Tie me up to a tree and beat me, huh? Well .. if it keeps me from eating myself, then I suppose it's for the best." Grinning, he crouches to roll his tarp and, after a look to her, offers it her. "Here. Save your ass from a bit of soreness. It's the least I can do after sharin' your nuts with me," he says, grinning a bit. "It's only a temporary loan. Don't get too comfortable, else we may have to fight to the death for it." A smile, genuine. "Gonna see if I can find some more of those pine nuts. Those were good." Though anything tastes delicious when one is hungry. "I'll see you later, huh?"

Hotaru blinks, then laughs. "Maybe. I don't know how adept Idrissa will be at killing anything more than a fish though. She's too gentle." Which really wasn't anything to be ashamed of, but wasn't helpful out here when they were roughing it. She peers at him. "Yes. Beat you. With sticks. Not the fun kind of beating." Hotaru blinks and takes the offered tarp. "Uh… thanks. I'll put it back with your stuff when I go out again." Which won't be too long probably, since she's eaten a bit and warmed up now. She smiles back to Kale. "Alright. Be careful, Sticky. There might not be animals about, but the rocks are dangerous. See ya." Hotaru picks up her walking stick and uses it to poke at the fire. Then she gets up to see if she can find those pots.

Kale pauses to press his palm against his chest theatrically, inhaling a shocked breath. "An' all this time, I thought y'never cared," he says, fixing her with a heartfelt look with eyes playfully wide. His exhale comes as a prolonged sigh that's followed by a grin as he lifts the hand from his chest to instead wave. "See you, Hotaru," he offers. "I'll do my best not to fall to my death." Now that'd be a damper on this little trip of theirs. Smirking, he heads off in search of edible tood to forage and keep his stomach from eating itself.

This is possibly an incomplete log, as I had to go! If anyone continued in my absence, feel free to add on to this! :)